**Inagua**

Inagua sat up, gasping, awakened by a nightmare she couldn't remember.    
A brief look around told her that they weren't even close to Nerlik yet.  
She stretched, getting out the kinks that came from sleeping on a bunch 
of boxes.

"Ah, so yer awake are ye," the old white haired man holding the reins 
said kindly.

"Yes," she replied as she climbed over all the stolen goods between her 
and the driver's seat.  Plopping down next to him, she held out her 
hand.  "My name's Inagua."

He took it in a suprisingly strong grip and gave it a brief shake.  
"Uther." He dropped her hand and turned his attention back to the road.  
"So why ya going to Nerlik?" he asked conversationally.

"Unpleasant business," Inagua replied coolly.

Uther looked at her, his brown eyes suprisingly sharp.  "I see," he 
said, matching her tone for tone.

"If you help me unload when we get there, I'll give you half my pay," he 
said lightly, dropping his accent as well as the subject.

"Its a deal," Inagua said, glad he wasn't asking her anymore 
uncomforatble questions.  "Have you been in Nerlik long?" she asked.

"My whole life, was a thief for most of it too til my hands got stiff.  
Quiena takes care of us though, makes sure we can make enough to get 
by," he said.

"I need to get some money... Do you have any suggestions about where I 
should start?" Inagua asked hopefully.  Not having to scour the city for 
the good pickings would save her a lot of time.

"Suggestions?" he laughed, looking at her.  "My dear, I can give you 
step by step instructions.  Now first.."
********
**Noonish, Nerlik**

She gave Uther a quick peck on the cheek as he handed over half his pay, 
as promised.  "Thanks," she said.

"Thank you, you saved me a whole hour of unloading.  Good luck!" he 
said, climbed back onto the wagan and drove out of the alley, out of 
sight.

Inagua turned around and entered the building.

She found Nerlik's queen of thieves immediately and did a double take.  
The woman looked like a baker... who mothered every soul in town and 
gave out cookies when she was begged.  She was quite large, with 
chestnut brown hair, spotted white with flour, tied back in a bun, 
chubby, flushed cheeks, and warm brown eyes.  The best touch was that 
she was suprevising the storage of the things from Greymist with a 
wooden spoon.

Biting her tongue to keep from laughing, she wove her way through the 
crowd to the large woman.

"Excuse me, Quiena?" she said, fighting off the urge to tug on the 
woman's apron.

Quiena looked down at her, still waving the spoon.  "Yes, child?"

"I'm from Greymist," she said, holding up her note.

Quiena took it and read it, the spoon still waving in the air.  She 
returned the not and looked through the crowd.  

"Jyarin!!" she yelled out suddenly, making Inagua jump.

"Yes, miss?" a lanky girl asked, popping suddenly out of the crowd.

"Take over," Quiena said, handing over the spoon like it was a jeweled 
scepter.

"Come with me, child," the large woman said and waddled off towards a 
door.  Inagua followed, turning around and nearly laughing at Jyarin 
waving the spoon around.  Quickly controlling her giggles, she walked 
into the room and shut the door behind her.

"What's your name, child, and why are you here?" Quiena asked, kindly if 
a bit bluntly.

"My names Inagua, and I'm claiming Sanguachiva like the note said," she 
replied.  

"Why are you claiming it, is what I meant," Quiena said, her tone saying 
she wouldn't take any more sass.

Sighing, Inagua told her the whole story, her semi-good mood draining 
away as she really remembered why she had come.

"... I need an assasin, preferably a cheap one since I don't have that 
much money," Inagua finished.

"Hmmm.. Well, child, I can recommend an assasin.. but he isn't cheap 
really.  He is, however, willing to take other means of payment..." 
Quiena looked at Inagua's slight form critically.  "If your up to it.  
But that will only cover about half.. the rest you have to come up with 
on your own.  You have my leave to steal anything you can get your hands 
on," Quiena finished.

Inagua didn't need the large woman to explain what the 'other means of 
payment' was.  She though about it for a moment and then remembered 
Yelia's battered face and body.

"How do I contact him?" she said simply.

Quiena grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil and wrote down the 
instructions, chattering the whole time.  "His name is Surgen.  He might 
have a horse's face but he is very good in bed, let me tell you," she 
added rather smugly.  "He won't disappoint you I promise, and if he's 
your first.. well there are very few I'd recomend over him."

Inagua soaked it up like sponge but didn't take much comfort from it.  
She excepted the note, which she noticed was on a recipe card, and left, 
aware of Quiena's large form following her and relieving Jyarin of the 
spoon.

Despite her depressed state of mind, she couldn't help but smile.
**********************
**Half hour later, near market place**

"Fantastic Clothing Design."  Inagua read the shop sign quietly to 
herself and checked her recipe card to make sure she had the right 
place.  It was.

Sighing, she walked into the shop and was relieved to find it empty of 
customers.    For a moment, she just stared at the so called clothing 
designer and wondered how he stayed in business.  He was wearing a plum 
tunic with a vermillion vest and blue leggings with plum and vermillion 
patterns on them.  She looked around at the other outfits in the shop 
and had to admit that he was wearing the least tacky of all his 
creations.

He looked up, his long wavy dark brown hair moving enough to reveal his 
pasty white face, which, to top off the ensemble, resembled a horse.  
Well, maybe that was a bit of an exageration, but he wasn't pretty.  
Little eyes, large bulbous nose, buck teeth and a protruding chin were 
not a winning combination.  At least his complexion was clear.

"May I help you?" he asked politely, if a bit suprised.  Inagua smiled, 
he did have a lovely voice.

"Yes, Quiena sent me.  Are you Surgen?" Inagua asked, walking up to the 
counter.

"Yes," he said, understanding creeping into his tone.  He quicklt read 
the notes she gave him.  Handing them back, he locked the door and sat 
down at a table.  Following his example she joined him.

"It says you wish to claim Sanguachiva, Inagua," he said politely.  
Gods, she could drown in that voice!  "May I ask why?"

Sighing, she told her story for the third time that day, adding on her 
money problem and what Quiena had told her about him excepting other 
forms of payment.

"Yes, I will except sex as a substitution for money, but only if your 
willing," he said when she had finished.  "Are you?"

She nodded.  "How much money will I owe you after I sleep with you?"

"Well, there are two of them and I don't have a description.." he named 
a price and Inagua cringed.

"I can give you there exact location if you let me tag along.  I'm a 
thief so I'm quiet," she bargained.

"Exact location, huh?" he said, showing humor for the first time since 
she had come in.  "That'd be a neat trick.  Care to share how you do 
it?"

Inagua smiled and shook her head.  "Can't don't know how I do it 
myself," she said apologetically.

He changed his price and she breathed a sigh of relief.  She could 
manage that in one day if she really worked hard.  "Deal," she said.

He nodded.  "Do you want to settle the other half of the payment now or 
later?"

Inagua cringed.  "Now I suppose."

As one they stood up.  She followed him into a back room and quietly 
shut the door behind her.
**************
NRPG: THis is getting way to long, so I'll stop here.  I'll try to write 
part 3 tomorrow if i can.

Submitted by,
Bridget Olson
Inagua and Myacura
Geode


Bridget Olson 
Dyanisa and Sienra *Daere*
Inagua and Myacura *Geode*
Nalin and Trefoil *Whiteriver*
N'dovra Leriamtiq *Ralengarde*
Ens. Sirosa Badei *USS FARADAY*

"Life is only as limited as your imagination."*



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